February 12th, 2025 Update
On February 11th, 2025, Montgomery County Council passed Bill 24-24, Bring Your Own Bag (BYOB) Bill. Nature Forward has been working with Councilmembers since last summer to ensure that Montgomery County passed a bill that protects our waterways and our most vulnerable communities. Thanks to our members and supporters, we sent 121 letters in support of this bill. The BYOB Bill will:
- The bag ban will go into effect Jan. 1, 2026.
- As part of the rollout for this new change, Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection will make reusable bags made from recycled cotton that will be distributed to constituents for free at community events.
- Customers who receive Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and/or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits also will be exempt from the tax.
- Revenue generated will fund more water quality protection projects.
Read more details in the following articles:
- Click here to see the fill Bill 24-24 Final Report
- Watch the final council vote here (at 1:16:09).
- Montgomery County Council Press Release – Council Passes Bring Your Own Bag (BYOB) Bill
- Bethesda Magazine – Montgomery County bans plastic retail shopping bags
- WTOP – Montgomery County Council approves plastic bag ban — with some exceptions
- Washington Post – Montgomery County adopts plastic bag ban, doubles tax on paper bags.
Volunteers clear trash at Lane Manor Splash Park in August of 2024. They collected many, large bags full of bottles and plastics from a stream where local families recreate, picnic, and swim on a hot summer’s day. We deserve better and so do our waterways!
Source: Angie McCarthy
Have you ever looked to escape your everyday life by immersing yourself in nature? Me, too! I imagine many of us feel similarly at Nature Forward. But have you ever gotten to what you envisioned as a pristine spot only to find a place littered with plastic carryout bags, takeout containers, and other debris? This inevitably shoots you right out of your calm and back to reality. There is a path to change. In October 2024, Montgomery Council President Kate Stewart introduced a bag bill that would build upon the legacy of the current County bag tax that was implemented in May 2011.
Bill 24-24, or the Bring Your Own Bag (BYOB) bill, seeks to ban single use plastic bags while increasing much needed funding for projects designed to protect water quality. The bill is looking to increase the use of reusable bags, but for those of us who forget our bags in the car, we will be able to buy paper bags for 10 cents. This is an increase of 5 cents from the previous paper bag fee. Five cents would go back to retailers, while the other five would go to the Water Quality Protection Charge fund. Importantly, the bill has exceptions for residents who receive Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and/or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits when purchasing paper bags.
The legislation is a result of a 2023 Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Report. That report found that poor administration and implementation of our current plastic bag tax diminished the bill’s effectiveness. Many businesses were not collecting the tax and the County had no way to track those missing fees. So, the OIG suggested changes to improve the legislation so that our waterways can remain plastic bag free.
Along with the rest of the Stormwater Partners Network, Nature Forward supports the bill but recommends amendments to make the bill’s language as clear and strong as possible. In short, we suggest closing several loopholes; adding an explanation about how DEP will support and educate low-income shoppers; and ensuring that the measure includes the incorporated jurisdictions in the County. You can read that letter below:
A sunny day looking across the Anacostia River towards RFK stadium. Within the lilies and rivergrass: plenty of plastic bags from North of DC that have made their way down our waterways.
Source: Angie McCarthy
What Can You Do?
You can sign up to testify in person or virtually in support of the Bring Your Own Bag Bill this Tuesday, January 14th at 1:30 pm on the Council website here. The deadline to sign up is January 13th at 2 pm. Please email me if you plan to attend, and we can sit together!
Find your Montgomery County Council member using this map, and tell them that you are supporting the BYOB Bill with amendments to make it stronger! You can use our form below. Be sure to include the At-Large members in your emails and phone calls! As a reminder, Montgomery County takes comments even after a hearing has happened so be sure to let your Councilmembers know your thoughts.
